Environment - Recycling & Garbage - Residents

The City of San José is changing the garbage billing system to minimize expenses to ratepayers, control costs, and have a more efficient and easier-to-use bill payment process for customers. When evaluating the existing billing system, the City identified an immediate need for software improvements that would also require upgrades every five years. By changing the billing model now, the City will save an estimated $3.2 million per year.

To gather public feedback about the change, the city conducted an online survey in the spring of 2013 and encouraged all affected ratepayers in the City to participate through messages on the bill and other outreach. The survey yielded positive responses from residents about the change of billing cycles from six times per year to twice per year. Approximately 50 percent of all survey respondents indicated that they were either strongly or somewhat in favor of the new billing concept and nearly two-thirds said the change would not create a financial hardship. Learn more about the new billing model

Residents in single-family homes can have large items (such as mattresses, sofas, refrigerators, tires, and more) collected curbside by their recycling collection company. Beginning July 1, 2017, residents can schedule unlimited large item collections for free. Each collection includes up to three large items. Schedule a large item collection by calling your recycling collection company directly. To find your recycling collection company, please use the Residential Collection Lookup. Apartment and condominium residents can contact their property managers directly to arrange for large item collections, also at no additional cost.Learn more about large item collection.

Four companies help the City to collect your garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings. Find your service provider contact information by calling (408) 535-3500 or by simply entering your street number and zip code into the Residential Services Lookup.

Collection times are 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on your collection day. If your garbage, recycling or yard trimmings aren’t picked up by 6:00 p.m., contact the specific collection company directly.

If you put your garbage and recycling out after collection has occurred, you will have to wait until the following week for pick up on your next collection day. Learn how to handle extra garbage and recyclables.

You may buy extra garbage stickers for $6.25 at all San José libraries, Save Mart, Lucky, and Safeway stores in San José or at the Customer Service Center on the first floor of San José City Hall. A portion of the sales from stickers sold at San José libraries supports library programs. Remember to place extra garbage in a 32-gallon plastic garbage bag labeled with an extra garbage sticker on the curb near the garbage cart.

Residents in single-family homes can have large items (such as mattresses, sofas, refrigerators, tires, and more) collected curbside by their recycling collection company. Beginning July 1, 2017, residents can schedule unlimited large item collections for free. Each collection includes up to three large items.

Schedule a large item collection by calling your recycling collection company directly. To find your recycling collection company, please use the Residential Collection Company Lookup. Apartment and condominium residents with communal garbage dumpster service can contact their property managers or GreenTeam of San Jose directly to arrange for free large item collections.Learn more about large item collection.

The City of San Joséis committed to open and honest government and strives to consistently meet the community’s expectations by providing excellent service, in a positive and timely manner, and in the full view of the public.